What remains a question of taste are the light-blue buttons and their backlighting, which looks a little low-rent. The storage points in the center console and the cupholders are flimsy, as pretty much anything we'll put in there will end up falling out. The A-pillars are a little too large, and hamper visibility; it's starting to become a trend with every manufacturer. The cockpit could benefit from greater sound insulation.
This Colt is the Invite model, which offers 15-inch alloy wheels, a CD player with 6 speakers, heated mirrors, power front windows, air conditioning and remote keyless entry. The Colt can even be equipped with leather seats, 18-inch wheels and rain-sensing wipers.
The front seats are very comfortable, but the rear bench is particularly crafty. It can slide fore and aft to increase legroom, just like in the Toyota Yaris. Or, it can be slid forward and folded up to allow greater cargo capacity.
Yes for the diesel, no for the sequential gearbox
The engine under the hood of our test Colt is a 1.5-liter, turbodiesel inline-4, which generates 95 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque at just 1,800 rpm. A 5-speed manual is standard, but it's the 6-speed sequential (read: semi-automatic) gearbox that's installed in our silver subcompact. This transmission is pretty much the same as what's found in the smart fortwo.
According to the European combined fuel economy rating, this car should use up 4.6 L/100 km; we observed an average of 6.5, but our diesel fuel here is of lesser quality than in Europe. With the sequential transmission, Mitsubishi claims 0-100 km/h acceleration times of 9.9 seconds, which seem very plausible to us.
In short, we like the powerful and frugal diesel engine, but the gearbox is a little disappointing. It compresses the engine quite a bit during gear changes, which gives the car a rocking-horse feeling that was also felt in the previous-generation smart. We believe that if Mitsubishi wants to offer this model in Canada, they should opt for a conventional automatic transmission.
This Colt is the Invite model, which offers 15-inch alloy wheels, a CD player with 6 speakers, heated mirrors, power front windows, air conditioning and remote keyless entry. The Colt can even be equipped with leather seats, 18-inch wheels and rain-sensing wipers.
The front seats are very comfortable, but the rear bench is particularly crafty. It can slide fore and aft to increase legroom, just like in the Toyota Yaris. Or, it can be slid forward and folded up to allow greater cargo capacity.
 |
| The diesel engine does not work well with the sequential gearbox. |
Yes for the diesel, no for the sequential gearbox
The engine under the hood of our test Colt is a 1.5-liter, turbodiesel inline-4, which generates 95 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque at just 1,800 rpm. A 5-speed manual is standard, but it's the 6-speed sequential (read: semi-automatic) gearbox that's installed in our silver subcompact. This transmission is pretty much the same as what's found in the smart fortwo.
According to the European combined fuel economy rating, this car should use up 4.6 L/100 km; we observed an average of 6.5, but our diesel fuel here is of lesser quality than in Europe. With the sequential transmission, Mitsubishi claims 0-100 km/h acceleration times of 9.9 seconds, which seem very plausible to us.
In short, we like the powerful and frugal diesel engine, but the gearbox is a little disappointing. It compresses the engine quite a bit during gear changes, which gives the car a rocking-horse feeling that was also felt in the previous-generation smart. We believe that if Mitsubishi wants to offer this model in Canada, they should opt for a conventional automatic transmission.
 |
| The availability of diesel engines is expected to grow in the coming years. |